Orchestras Try to Lure Younger Patrons

5/2/2012 12:57PM

Symphonies are taking steps to attract younger patrons. At the forefront is Miami Beach's New World Symphony, blending classical music with DJs spinning electronic music. Arian Campo-Flores has details on Lunch Break. Josh Ritchie for The Wall Street Journal.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... I love this idea I mean this is the symphony really try to shake things up and away it has never ... done before walk us through some of the novel approaches it using across the country ... sure well I think a lot of time is in the new rule to be ... in Miami Beach ... and what they've been trying to do it on a number of experimental program ... to bring in ... new and younger audiences ... of ... the more interesting wanted more up on Barrons it ... all ... and that one in vaults ... it returned to the cost of living in light of day ... and you have ... I don't start Stravinsky and other composers ... and an alternating with the DJ was spinning ... this is that I'm in all they see ... as a casual feel it's obviously with L E D lights you can ... argue that transcends our ... walk around the hall that will ... go up to the musicians and watch them up close ... um and so ... it's a it's a really ... festive and very unconventional atmosphere ... Sensex order programs to perhaps in some cases and where else are they doing this around the country they're a lot of great ... Symphony Auriga's organizations out there any others for pushing the aam below ... oh yes that is happening a lot of countries around the country um ... for instance the Memphis Symphony has of with what they've done is send your check out into unconventional thingy so up DEL hair up we say ... of losing her or even a rap artist ... and play and are a nightclub or crunchy warehouse ... and do collaboration is ... there um Detroit ... it said the recent ... performance ... um as well that and all bringing in this chamber orchestra to play but they proceeded with a happy hour of the Senate and a cabaret style setting with reforms to plays and afterwards you can have cocktails and then with the musicians ... and they're curious are pushing back against this saying ... in a year and desecrated you're just playing classical music and didn't this is just this should not be happening ... right yet there is there is some element of that and there are folks who are very wedded to the very ... traditional style of ... classical concert performance um so they're there is some skepticism any pushback from those quarters ... with your Tuesday is look at those times is on going anywhere and that core ... classical series will continue to be performed ... at and these are just what they wanna do is ... try to expand the audience bringing new audiences ... and have ... these ... in alternative formats um why are there to be more appealing to younger demographic and perhaps ... over time the younger demographic will eventually make its way to some of the more traditional forms ... this is this dictionary and has Symphony attendance been dropping ... that has been dropping steadily for the last twenty five years ... and I'm ... not into the audience shrinking but the audiences are also getting ... older um as compared to the overall U S population so it's it's a ... it's a challenging demographic picture ... it's interesting so um there isn't really an imperative on and ... to um to stand and try out new things to bring in to regenerate their audience